The invention relates to the art of recreational devices and, more particularly, to a game that simulates the process of constructing a home and that familiarizes players with business, financial, and construction principles involved in the building process.
While there are many educational games that teach players various subjects, applicant is not aware of any game that familiarizes players with the business, financial, and construction principles involved in the process of building a home. Two games that simulate the construction of a home or other structure have been disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,506,184 to Twining discloses a game that includes game pieces representing components of a house (such as the foundation, body, and roof), a garage, fencing, inhabitants, and pets. These pieces are positioned on a game board. Each player must construct the house and place the other pieces on the player's own game board in their proper sequence (for example, the house foundation must be played before the body). A chance device such as a spinner has spaces with pictorial representations of the game pieces. The players take turns spinning the spinner. A game piece may be played during a player's turn when the spinner points to that piece. The player continues spinning and adding the indicated pieces until the spinner points to a piece that cannot yet be played. The first player to finish his home wins.
Twining describes a game designed to teach children to associates words and pictures with the corresponding playing pieces. Players' progress is dictated purely by chance--each player adds pieces to the house based on the spinner, with no payments or inspection required before advancing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,128 to Zelazny discloses a board game in which each player undertakes construction projects with the goal of maximizing profits. The game consists of a board that is divided into a number of areas each of which correspond to a construction project, such as an apartment building or a parking garage. These areas are further divided into spaces representing the phases of construction (excavation, structural steel work, etc.). Associated with each of these areas on the board are instructions that determine the profit and loss of the player during that step of the construction based on the roll of dice. The players advance through one step of the project each turn. Chance cards that provide additional rewards and penalties are also disclosed. Players undertake one or more projects in parallel or sequentially until all the projects are finished or a set time has expired. The player with the most money at the end of play wins.
The goal of Zelazny's game is to maximize profits rather than to complete construction of a project. Profit and loss depend on the roll of dice, rather than on knowledge of the construction process or factors related to the construction of the project. The players bid on various projects and advance around individual sections of the game board corresponding to each project and therefore do not play on a common course. The game is oriented toward commercial construction projects in general rather than to homes.
Thus, it is evident that there is a need for a game addressed to adults that simulates the construction of a home in a way that familiarizes players with the business, financial, and construction principles involved in the home-building process.